The Wolf Teacher of Beacon
by ItsKazeHere
Summary: Nate Winters-Wolfe is highly known among the Huntsmen as the Prodigy Huntsman, the youngest to graduate at the age of 15. As he keeps on with his life, three years have passed from his graduation and he receives a call from Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon, giving him a curious offer: becoming a teacher in the same school he studied in. I do not own RWBY. All rights belong to RT
1. Nate Wolfe

"Nate, help me!"

"William!"

"It hurts!"

"Doctor, please. Stop this!"

"Get out of my way, Nate!"

Nate wakes up, screaming, as he reaches out to nothing once he stands up.

His hand is grabbing the air, as it wants to find something to hold on.

After a couple of minutes of struggling, he reaches out to his weapon, Crimson Night, and jumps out of the bed, swinging its steel blade against the nothingness. Only after his Scroll starts ringing, Nate gets back to consciousness, widely opening his eyes and looking around.

"Ah, yes", he says while lowering his weapon. "I'm in Mistral"

He starts to check in every part of the room. As he finds his Scroll under a huge and messy pile of papers, he answers the call, putting it on the loudspeaker.

"Hello?"

"Ah. Finally". A familiar voice comes out from his Scroll, startling Nate. "Hello, Nate. It has been a while since we talked, hasn't it?"

"Professor Ozpin!", he says. "It's an unexpected surprise. I'm glad to hear from you, sir"

"Likewise, Nate. How are you?"

"I'm fine, professor", he timidly replies. "I'm currently in Mistral"

"I see. Did you make a visit to Haven?"

"No. I just arrived yesterday, professor", he declares, yet a slight tone of uneasiness is heard in his voice. "I didn't have the time to visit it"

"I see..."

He stretches a little bit, moving his arms upwards and letting out a grunt of tiredness. He scratches his black hair, from which a pair of wolf ears pop up, nervously flipping at the sound of the crowd on the streets.

Nate remains silent for a couple of seconds, fiddling with his weapon until he decides to resume. "How did you get this number, headmaster?"

"I asked miss Fortuna for it. I wanted to talk to you about something"

He makes a soundly click with his tongue as Ozpin mentions Fortuna, looking irritated, only to focus on the call shortly after.

"Understood. And what is it exactly that you need from me?"

He takes a big sip from the water can that he kept nearby, waiting for Ozpin's answer.

"I'll make this short", Ozpin calmly says. "I want you to teach at Beacon"

Nate immediately spills the water, heavily coughing as he attempts to process Ozpin's request.

"Excuse me, professor?"

"Yes. I know it's sudden, but I do need your help in this particular case"

"I'm all ears, then"

"I have to ask you if you already know Roman Torchwick"

"Yes, sir", Nate replies with a bit of uneasiness, knowing the criminals from several posters that Vale's kingdom handed to him. "A general robber but quite the astute type"

"A couple of days ago, he and his thugs robbed a Dust shop. Luckily, no innocent civilian was harmed. Thanks to a peculiar girl inside the shop"

"Shortly after, what was supposed to be a robbery became a fight between this girl and Torchwick's group. The girl managed to neutralise the thugs and chased Torchwick through the roofs where she encountered an associate of the criminal"

"Luckily for her, professor Goodwitch was nearby and helped her out to fight the criminals who escaped in the end, unfortunately"

"Professor Ozpin, may I ask a question?", Nate asks, followed by a hum of approval. "What's so special about this girl?"

"I was told that you know her", Ozpin replies, making Nate extremely uncomfortable. "A young girl who wielded one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed by humankind"

"Hm...". Nate takes a sip from the can, gulping it down. He takes a moment to think until Ozpin's last statement leaves him in awe. "Wait... Did you just say 'one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed'?"

"Yes, Nate", Ozpin replies, sighing.

"No. Absolutely not"

"Nate, why are you...?"

"No, professor. I can't get back to her, to THEM. Not now!". His voice gets higher, showing a mix of irritation and worry.

"Nate, what are you saying...?"

"You need to find someone else"

Suddenly, someone angrily knocks at the door, bringing Nate back to his senses. He immediately starts gathering his belongings and his paperwork in his backpack. Once the desk is empty from the papers, he grabs the remaining object on it: a black earpiece, with a white shooting star emblem printed on it.

He puts it on his ear, putting his Scroll in the pocket of his trousers.

"Nate, what is going on there?"

"It could be housekeeping", Nate sarcastically replies while wearing a dark grey wind coat. "It can't be the owner, because I've already paid him the Lien he requested for the room"

He heads to the open window. After he checks out that no one suspicious is on the streets, he springs out of the room headfirst, timely front flipping back to his feet to land. After that, he immediately runs away from the building.

"Unwanted guests?", Ozpin calmly asks.

"Let's just say that they were stubbornly trying to get me to meet them", Nate says while avoiding the crowd in front of himself. He suddenly hears complaints and people being pushed around behind him, convincing him to increase his running pace. "And it seems like they're not going to give up on me yet"

The chase continues throughout Mistral until he finds himself on its outskirts.

The crowd of civilians has been replaced with an endless and thick forest, making Nate extremely disoriented, until he finds himself in the middle of a large clearing.

He turns around, trying to find another escape route, but the closing of his chasers' footsteps forces him to stay in the same position, knowing that he will not lose them.

"End of the line, mister", one of the guys says while loading a gun. "Drop any weapon you have, raise your hands and move towards us. Slowly"

"And if I don't comply?", Nate calmly asks while keeping his back to the enemy.

"We received the order to bring you alive", another one replies. "But that doesn't mean that you won't get hurt"

"Well...", Nate starts as he turns around, facing his chasers. "You'll have to disappoint your bosses, then"

The group looks at him with irritation. All of them had similar clothing and similar Grimm mask. But their peculiar animalistic feature, confirms Nate's doubts: the White Fang was after him.

The group gets ready to fight as Nate brings his hands to the sheathed sword on his hips, clicking a switch on the guard.

"I'm half Faunus, it's true", Nate explains, looking at them with pity. "But I won't fight for you"

"You do know what those humans are capable to do to us. Yet you defend them", one of them angrily snarls. By their voice, she sounds like a girl, making Nate more uncomfortable to fight. "Monster"

Something in Nate is moved by that word, as he suddenly becomes irritated, readying himself to the fight.

"Don't test my patience", he angrily growls while hovering his right hand on the sword's handle.

"And don't test ours", another one with horn replies. "Don't try to run away or fight back"

In an instant, Nate disappears in front of the group, reappearing behind them soon after.

He unsheathes his weapon, clashing against the enemy blades, staggering three people with a single swing. A fourth enemy intervenes, trying to hit him with the butt of their rifle, only to see Nate disappear once again.

As he reappears a few meters away from them, they look at him carefully, heavily breathing from the previous sparring.

"I don't want to fight you"

"I do believe they won't listen to you", Ozpin points out.

"That doesn't help, professor", Nate whispers.

Due to Ozpin's intervention, Nate finds himself guardless as the White Fang charges him, attempting to restrain him when suddenly multiple howlings stop them from attacking, as they shake in fear at the sudden sound.

"Why are they this close?", one of the thugs asks as they look around.

Menacing red eyes glow from the forest, looking at the White Fang and Nate, growling as they nervously walk in circles.

"Listen to me", Nate starts, trying to get the group to get closer to him. "Do as I say, or we will all be in deep trouble"

While most of them nod at his request, the rest of the group steps forward, aiming their guns at the threats in the forest.

"Tell your friends not to shoot a single..."

Before Nate can end his sentence, the group starts aimlessly opening fire at the forest, forcing numerous Grimms out in the open, ready to attack.

"... bullet", he ends, sighing, as the White Fang attacks, trying to clear an escape route for themselves.

He immediately teleports himself in front of the Faunus group after they stop shooting, kicking sideways a Beowolf that dangerously started charging them.

The group remains in shock as Nate turns around, looking in the opposite direction to where he sent the Grimm, facing a whole pack staring at him with murderous intents.

All of sudden, he sheathes his blade, clicking on the switch on the guard once again.

The weapon rapidly changes form into a long-barrel rifle. Without any second thought, he points it at the pack single handily, firing as three rounds. The bullets wheeze through the air, impacting on the skulls of three Beowolves which fall on the ground, lifeless.

Soon after, the rest of the pack charges Nate who proceeds to teleport once again and shoot three more rounds, taking down three more Grimms and gain the attention of the rest.

"I'm giving you an opening", he yells at the White Fang. "Now go!"

"What about you?"

"They're after me, not you", Nate explains with insistence. "You were right about me being a monster"

The Grimms rapidly surround the Huntsman, growling as they stare at him from a proper distance.

The Faunus girl that initially called him a monster attempts to get closer, only to get blocked by one of her teammates who shakes his head.

"Just go", Nate continues to yell. The Faunus in front of the group nods at him, ordering the others to retreat.

"Always merciful with anyone but the Grimms", Ozpin points out.

Nate lets out a bitter chuckle. "I think Grimms would make amendments as well if they could talk"

"Perhaps..."

The Beowolves growls at him, circling around him as he looks at them.

Nate gives a quick look at the general direction where the White Fang was. As he noticed that no one was there, he takes a sigh of relief.

"Despite their terrible actions, I do hope they will manage to get back to safety", Ozpin says.

"I hope as well, headmaster", Nate replies as he readies his rifle on his hands.

As soon as he does so, the Beowolves charge him, only to crash against each other as Nate jumps.

He spins mid-air, neutrally looking at the Grimms before clicking the switch on the guard again and firing the gun on them.

The first round is imperceptible, rapidly impacting on the ground. Suddenly, a sudden and unknown force from where the bullet impacted, sends the Beowolves flying several meters away from the position, permitting Nate to safely land.

As they recover, the Beowolves charges the Huntsman. One by one, two by two. The Grimms are easily slain by Nate as he repeatedly fires numerous rounds at them. Each time he fires eight rounds, a ping will announce the emptying of the rifle, making him reload a new clip on it, using the butt of his rifle to kick away any incoming threat.

Without breaking a sweat, Nate continues to fight his way through the enormous pack, risking every single time to end near the beasts' claws and teeth which he avoids by jumping or teleporting on an open space.

But the ammo isn't unlimited and soon Nate starts rationing every round for a sure kill. As the rifle clicks once again, the Grimms dangerously close in to him, ready to fatally strike him.

In response, Nate switches the melee mode of his weapon. But this time, the weapon has a different appearance.

The blade comes out from the sheath in a crimson glow, smoking in the cold air.

Without second thoughts, Nate charges the pack, slicing every single Beowolf in front of him. Teleporting to the next target when they weren't close enough to him.

The Grimms slowly decrease in number. While many continue to attack, the rest runs away as Nate continues his slaughter.

In the end, everything is silent and Nate is left alone with his weapon, returned to the original color.

The shattered moon is high in the sky, illuminating the clearing as Nate, heavily worn out, sheathes his weapon.

He looks around himself, clueless, only to find a wounded Beowolf next to him.

As he approaches the beast, the latter starts growling back but immediately stops as Nate looks at him.

The Huntsman reaches out the head of the Grimm with his hand, careless about any possible attack, caressing the fur of the wounded beast.

"Just rest now", he whispers as he pats the Grimm. "It will be over soon"

The Grimm doesn't react. It slowly breathes, until it starts fading away, leaving Nate with his hand hovering in the cold air.

"The rumors are real, then". A female voice comes out from behind Nate, making him immediately turn back and teleport a few centimetres in front of the person, startling the latter. "What are you gonna do?"

He immediately unsheathes his blade, bringing the flat part it to her throat. She whimpers at the sudden threatening as he brings her closer to him.

"Who is looking after me?", he asks.

"An associate", she says, scared. "They said to our lieutenants to find you, the famous Nate Wolfe"

Nate pushes the blade a little bit further without cutting her.

"How did you do that?", she barely asks with a broken voice. "Why didn't the Grimm attack you?"

"Like you said before", he replies. "I'm a monster"

He immediately lets her go, turning his back to her and walking away. But after a few steps, he hears the clicking of a gun and the roaring of the bullets soon after.

Nate turns back, teleporting to the Faunus once again. But this time, the blade ends up through her abdomen.

He lays her down, holding her head with his unarmed hand.

"You went this far, uh?", she weakly says while grinning. "Killing your own kind"

"You're not going to die", he says as he pulls back the sword, waving it to clean it from the blood. "I didn't hit any vital part. I just needed to incapacitate you"

Once again, he walks away. But this time, he willing stops.

"Also, remember what I said before? I'm half Faunus", he explains. "So, I'm obviously half Human. Not all of them are hateful towards your kind"

He runs away, making several short-range teleporting to gain distance from himself and the Faunus.

After a couple of hours, he arrived to his original place, an old inn.

He sits on a stool, raising his hand to the bartender.

"I thought you left", the bartender says as he cleans an newly washed mug.

"I thought I said no guests", Nate sternly replies.

"They threatened me with a gun"

"Fair enough", Nate says, chuckling.

"Same thing?", he asks as he puts down the mug.

"Same thing", Nate repeats. As the bartender leaves, he presses his hand against the ear. "Are you sleeping, headmaster?"

"Not at all", Ozpin calmly replies. "Still, I'm surprised that it took you so much to resume our conversation"

"I didn't want to talk after the fight"

"Are you losing your sanity? You're talking to yourself", the bartender asks. In his hands, there's a tray full of food.

Nate simply point his finger on his ear, making the bartender notice the earpiece.

"Got it", he shortly concludes. As Nate approaches his pockets, the bartender immediately raises his hand. "It's on the house. As an apology"

"They won't bother you anymore", Nate says, followed by a quick nod of the bartender as he leaves. Then, as he takes a bite from the food on the tray, he resumes his talk with Ozpin. "Professor, about that offer..."

"Yes?"

"I suppose that Ruby isn't my only student", he points out.

"Indeed", Ozpin confirms. "From the new students that were admitted in, we chose a certain group. The list should be in your Scroll now"

After finishing to munch on his food, Nate takes out his Scroll, checking numerous profiles on the list.

After carefully observing the list, he turns at the bartender. "When is the last Airship going to fly to Vale?"

"In a couple of minutes or so. You won't make it in...". The bartender turns back to look at Nate, only to find an empty tray and a handful of Lien next to it.

"Stubborn kid", he says while smiling. "I said it was on the house"

"Who was he?", a random customer asks.

"A kid that supposed to be one of the youngest Huntsman in whole Remnant", he says as he picks up the empty tray and the Lien. "I do remember he said that he is 18 or so"

"What's his name?"

"Nate Wolfe, the Prodigy Huntsman"


	2. Afraid

**Chapter 1: Afraid**

 _Nate Winters, Helena Ashley, Lucas Bean, Fortuna Wolfe"_

 _"The four of you retrieved the black king pieces. From this day forward, you will work as Team WHLF, lead by Nate Winters..."_

Nate wakes up, quickly moving away from the back of his seat as soon as he gets back to his senses and leaning to check the window next to him.

The sky is still enveloped in the darkness of the night. The Drakken Airship is flying above the clouds, barely illuminated by the light of Remnant's shattered moon.

Most of its passengers are calmly sleeping in their seats, while others check their Scrolls, playing games or checking files on them.

Nate, barely conscious, stretches his arm, looking at the watch on his wrist. An old mechanical watch with a leather strap. An old gift from the old man.

It's half past nine in the night...

"I guess I could call them", he mumbles as he takes out his Scroll from one of the many pockets of his coat, dialling a number. As he calls it, the call starts ringing already. The receiver immediately picks up.

The sore voice of a girl comes out from the Scroll. "Who am I talking to?"

Nate recognizes the voice and smiles. "Good evening, Bianca. I do hope I did not disturb you"

The girl soundly jumps from where she was still and sounding cheerful as she heard Nate's voice. "Nate? Is that really you? Oh. It's so good to hear from you"

"Likewise, Bianca", Nate says, still smiling. "How's your sister?"

"She's fine"

"Have you talked to her?"

She doesn't reply for a couple of minutes. As her silence persists, Nate decides to intervene.

"Is something wrong?"

His voice startles Bianca who lets out a scared hiccup.

"Why did you speak up, all of sudden?", she asks, irritated.

"Well, excuse me if you went silent the whole time"

"I still can't talk to her. Are you satisfied?" she says in the same upset tone, only to return into a concerned one soon after. "Fortuna is always busy with her work. She basically has no time for me"

"Also?" he asks.

"What?" she asks as well.

"That doesn't sound like the only thing that is concerning you right now"

"How can you tell?" she teasingly asks.

"Because last time I asked you about Fortuna, you took less time to reply"

A tone of exasperation is heard in her voice. "You and your far-fetched details"

"Well? " he stubbornly asks once again.

"There... Has been an outbreak", she admits, in an uneasy tone. "They made a lot of fuss, but among the many instruments that we have here, they took the only thing that we didn't want to be public yet"

"Which is?"

Bianca stays silent once again.

NATE soundly spells each word of his next question. "What. Was. It?"

"... I can't tell you", she replies, sighing. "Listen, this is supposed to be a secret project. I can't tell anyone"

"What? Not even your best friend?" he sarcastically asks, emphasizing 'best friend' in the process. "Anyway, I need another crate of ammo, blank shots and Dust vials"

"How did you run out of them already?" she exclaims in surprise. "You're always the careful type when it comes with ammo management"

"I know", he replies, neutral to her outburst. "Also, I need a new blade"

"Ok. Hold it right there", she angrily interrupts. "What made you basically destroy Crimson Night and run out of ammo?"

"White Fang", he shortly replies. "And... the Grimms"

Bianca seems to calm down as she sighs at the answer. "That's all?"

"That's all"

"Alright. Where do you want me to send it?"

"Beacon"

Another moment of silence starts between the two but it's Bianca who resumes the talking. "Ok. What happened?"

"You should know what happened, Bianca", he replies, smiling. "After all, you're the one that gave professor Ozpin my number"

Her tone turns in awe as he says so. "How did you know that?!"

"You're the only one who could either have forwarded the call to Fortuna or sent him my number yourself, given the Scroll that you're currently using is hers. I'm betting all my money on the last theory. What are you even doing in her room?"

"Well..."

NATE sighs in pity. "There was a thunderstorm before, wasn't it? How long did it last? "

"What? No, there isn't-..."

Her reply is shortly interrupted by a sudden thunder to which Bianca immediately yelps in fear.

"... yes, there is. It has been six hours now", she pouts, clearly on the verge of sobbing. "Come on, now. Laugh"

"Why should I?", he says, smiling. "That's what makes you cute"

"Oh, shut it", she says, stuffing her head on a pillow next to her. After a while she raises her head, talking to Nate once again. "Anyway, what did he ask you?"

"To teach at Beacon... I think"

"He asked YOU", she starts, sounding unsurprised. "A dropout at the age of 16... to teach at Beacon"

"Yeah... doesn't it sound fishy?", he asks with an overacting curiosity.

"It does", she replies. "Nonetheless, I think he has a valid reason to take you as a teacher. After all, your ability as a Hunter is surprising, given the age you entered in Beacon..."

"Speaking of age", he says while rustling his backpack. From it, he takes out a green-coloured file filled with papers. "He got my sisters in Beacon"

"Oh. Congratulations". She pauses for a second, resuming with a confused tone. "Wait. Did you say 'sisters', and not 'sister'? Isn't Ruby only...?"

"Yes, she is"

"Huh". Bianca spins on a chair which constantly creaks at the sudden movements. After a couple more spins, she stops, resuming her talk. "Guess you can no longer brag about being the Prodigy Hunter"

"Oh. Shut it"

Bianca starts laughing at Nate who feels more uncomfortable as her laughter keeps going.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry". She coughs a couple of times before returning back to a calmer tone. "You still can't stand that nickname, can you?"

"As a matter of fact, I loathe it", he answers. "It wasn't a title I asked for, to begin with. And I can't believe that professor Ozpin just went along with it"

"Well. You did your fair share of achievements in Beacon, along with Fortuna and..."

Bianca immediately silences herself. "Oh, yeah. Sorry"

"Don't be", he replies, making a melancholic smile. "How many years has it been? Two? Three?"

"Four years. Tomorrow", she calmly says. "Nate, I know what you're thinking. It wasn't your fault"

"It wasn't me, it wasn't me", he repeats, annoyed. "You know what happened that night. Fortuna told you, right? It is MY burden"

"I know about that night. But a thing that wasn't in your control doesn't automatically mean that you're the one to blame"

NATE sighs at that statement, putting his Scroll away, before putting it next to his ear once again.

"How long will it take for the equipment to get to Beacon?"

"It will arrive tomorrow", she replies. A nearly inaudible chuckle comes from Bianca's mouth. "I thought you trusted our delivery services"

"I still do. Don't worry", he says, smiling.

Suddenly, another voice comes out from Bianca's side of the call. "Bianca, are you here?"

"Miss Locke?", she replies, surprised. "What is it?"

"It's Sirius, Bianca. I don't know how to calm him down", she says, sighing. "I'm no nanny. You should know that"

"I understand, Cherry. Just give me a couple of seconds"

"Sorry, Nate. I have to hang up", she concludes. "You'll have your equipment tomorrow. I promise it"

"Don't worry. Take your time", he replies. "How much do I owe you?"

"Given the fact that you are one of our favourite customers, it will be the usual discounted price"

"Come on, Bianca. There's no nee-..."

"I. Insist", she replies with an impatient tone. "By the way, my cousin will be studying at Beacon too. Do me a favour and keep an eye on her"

"Wait, what do you mean by that?" No response. A click concludes the call. Nate removes his Scroll from his ear to check the display, confirming the interruption.

"You could have least told me her name", he sighs, putting his Scroll back in his coat's pocket. "I have never met your cousin. How am I supposed to recognize her?"

Recognizing the fact that he will not receive answers by talking to himself, he focuses back on the green file he has on his lap.

As he opens it, it reveals a handful of handwritten letters, all written by the same person: uncle Qrow.

Nate takes the first one which is deemed to be the most recent of the pile. As he checks the date, he closes the file, putting it back in his bag.

The letter reads as follows:

 _Hey there, pipsqueak._

 _I heard that you just returned from Atlas. I honestly don't know what convinces you to visit that every month. But I suppose, being the grown man that you seem to be, it makes you hide some secrets from your family._

 _Anyway, Ruby is doing well. Yang too._  
 _For some reason, Ruby decided to follow my footsteps on using one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed. I never thought that she would be able to handle it but she did. Flying colours, unexpectedly._

 _Yang, instead, got admitted in Beacon. Convinced as always, that girl. But I suppose that's what makes her run through everything. I always ask myself how Tai managed to control her after all these years._

 _As for Tai, you already know how is he._  
 _Between teaching at Signal and going out for a mission..._  
 _You should really get back here, you know? A good family reunion. Just don't invite me._

At that line, Nate emits a stifled laugh.

 _I guess that's it for now. See you soon, pipsqueak. Your family misses you, remember that._

 _Your uncle,_  
 _Qrow_

 _P.S.: Replying to your last letter. No, I won't put my flask on a shelf and stop drinking._  
 _I appreciate the concern. But no. Just no._

Upon ending reading the content of the letter, he makes a sigh of relief, reaching out his bag once again. This time, however, he pulls out an empty paper.

After meticulously and carefully folding the letter and putting it in a pocket, he takes out a pen from another one.

He unlocks the shelf in front of himself, putting the empty paper on it and starting to write on it.

 _Hello, old man._

 _It's me again. But I guess that by the time this letter reaches you, either you'll be too drunk to read it or you'll be heading out for another of the many top secret missions that you seem to keep hidden. I can't tell the reason behind all this secrecy of yours. So I'll just brush it off._

 _So. Where do I begin?_

 _Well. First of all, one of my teammates' sister sold out my number to Ozpin. Three months of hiding, spoiled by a single call. If you're asking why I went into hiding is because your last lead from two letters ago was a trap set by the White Fang._  
 _I'm not blaming you. They knew more than you gave to me. Someone tipped them off. That someone wants me. I don't know for what reason. But I won't give him the opportunity to catch me._

 _If you're asking why Beacon's headmaster called me is because he wants me to come to Beacon._

 _"To teach", he says. He asked a DROPOUT to teach at Beacon. For what reason, first of all?_

 _You and Ozpin know well the truth behind the "Prodigy Hunter", as many civilians love to call me with. And I'm still angry at you two for not stopping me from falsifying my Huntsman license. If you think that would have thought me something, then you can shove that lesson up your..._

He stops for a couple of seconds. After taking a deep breath, he looks again at the last line he wrote and cancelling it with a line.

 _You and Ozpin know well the truth behind the "Prodigy Hunter", as many civilians love to call me with. The fact that I falsified a license to become a proper Huntsman. You might still hate me for that. But staying inside the walls of the Academy was too much. And my teammates knew that. You knew that. Professor Ozpin knew that._

 _Four years ago I abandoned a friend. Killed by the same ability that I let loose five years earlier._

 _I was afraid. I am afraid. Staying at Beacon wouldn't have helped._

 _I wanted answers. I needed to find out what caused all of this. Why are the Grimms acting differently with me?_

 _The information that I've gathered since I left was just a tiny fraction. Explaining how my abilities work and all. You know the details._

 _Then that last track that you gave me was the last. The one where the White Fang ambushed me. It was burned to the ground. Literally. And I could hear the screams inside._

 _And then I saw them. A whole family inside. Two kids, hidden under a blanket. And their father, holding him and protecting them._

 _Then he noticed me. We looked at each other for a split second, before he pushed his kids to the exit. He looked at me with the same pitch black eyes that I have. And then the roof collapsed on him._

 _I rushed back to Mistral, holding the two kids by their tiny hands, popping out from the blanket. I kept it on them not only because I didn't want them to see their house on fire. But because I was afraid of seeing their eyes. And I didn't have the guts to tell them that their eyes might be a curse._

 _And now that I'm writing this, that fire that killed their father reminds me of the one that killed my parents. The only memory I have of them. Before Tai found me._

 _In the end, you never gave me further leads. Most likely because that man was the last one of them. But I suppose that this ability of mine wasn't ever supposed to surface._

 _That's why I decided to interrupt my searches. To lay low for a while._

 _Thank you, Qrow. For helping me out, even after all my wrongdoings._

 _Your nephew,_  
 _Nate_

 _P.S.: Thanks for the watch._

Nate takes an envelope from his bag. After writing down the details about uncle Qrow, he folds his letter, putting it inside the envelope, closing it.

He takes another look at his watch. Thirty minutes have passed.

"I guess I'll take a nap", he says, as he turns his head to the window, slowly closing his eyes. He tries to think about what he was dreaming earlier. But his tired brain couldn't think about it enough.

Before he slips back in his sleep, he feels something in the pocket where he put his uncle's letter. Something small and hard. Like an old chess piece...


	3. Teach and Learn

**Chapter 2: Teach and Learn**

" _Will, I'm sorry."_

" _It's not your fault, Nate."_

" _No, it is my fault. If I didn't intervene… maybe Jacob would..."_

" _Please… that's enough."_

" _But Will…"_

" _The less we talk about what happened to him, the better."_

" _I…"_

" _... where is my father?"_

" _He was talking to that colleague of his again..."_

" _What did he say?"_

" _The first phase was a good observation or something like that."_

" _First phase…?"_

" _I have a bad feeling about that, Will."_

" _What do you mean?"_

" _It sounded like he has more plans for this experiment… I want to go home…"_

The Drakken roars loudly as it slowly descends to the ground, docking on its dedicated landing area. Civilians gather around from a safe distance, patiently waiting for their relatives or friends.

A dozen workers storm in the hangar, anchoring the Drakken to a pair of pillars on the sides of the landing zone, using the ropes that the aircraft dropped beforehand.

The aircraft powers its engines down, leaving only the murmur of people and the noises of the airport. The feeble light of the day is breaking the darkness of the early hours of the morning.

The passengers slowly walk out of the aircraft, some of them looking around and waving at the crowd outside, hoping to be noticed.

Nate is the last one to exit the aircraft. He looks around. Not a single friendly face in sight.

He sighs. He knows that no one would greet him back at Beacon. He knows that his squad left as soon as they graduated. And they were his only friends. Thinking about them gives him a mixed feeling of nostalgia.

"The faster I get out of here, the better." he whispers as he adjusts his bag on the shoulder once his mind isn't clouded by his thoughts.

But then he notices a person, distancing a little bit from the crowd. He freezes on the spot as he recognizes the person, a very stern woman that he hoped not to meet first.

Bright green eyes coldly gazing at him behind the thin ovular glasses. Blonde hair tied in the back in a bun and a curl hanging on one side.

She observes him while crossing her arms pressed against her chest.  
She nods at Nate who immediately replies with a similar nod, although with a gradually increasing uneasiness.

"Good morning, professor Goodwitch."

"Good morning, Mister Winters." she replies as he gets closer. "Professor Ozpin warned me about your arrival at Vale. We'll need at least two hours to reach the Academy. If you'd please follow me."

"Yes, ma'am."

The whole travel to Beacon is empty of any emotion. The two don't talk to each other. No questions asked, no sign of starting a conversation.

Nate observes the teacher from behind, taking glances left and right to avoid being caught. But once he looks at her again, his eyes meet hers, transforming his expression into shock as he is found out.

Her look seems indecipherable. However, Nate notices a glimmer in her eyes, ready to reply to any of his questions..

"Did the headmaster tell you the reason behind my return?"

"He indeed did so." she says, looking in front of her. "And I must say that I don't fully agree with his decision."

"Is that so…?" He tries to hide his smile behind a stern expression, only to break soon after. His attempt is soon noticed by Glynda who just rolls her eyes back to front.  
"Even though I'm blindly following his request, I'm still confused by why he chose me in the first place."

"You can ask him any question soon enough." she says. "You'll be seeing him after the lessons."

"Speaking of… what am I supposed to teach at the students?"  
"About that…" Glynda stops and turns to Nate who finds himself confused and dumbfounded by the sudden halt. "Mister Winters, your role might have been slightly exaggerated."

"Excuse me, professor Goodwitch, but what do you mean by that?"

"Isn't it obvious?" she replies. Her tone is irritated but her expression remains severe as usual.

" _What is she trying to imply… right… now…_ "  
His confusion haunts his thoughts until something clicks in him, lowering his head in resignation as he realizes the situation.

"So I'm also back to resume my studies as well? You could have said that straight away."

"You're right, Nate." she says without looking back. "But I'm not the one to tell. Ozpin is. For now, we're heading to the dormitories."

She gets a little bit closer to him. Her eyes are no longer neutral. They shimmer with a sense of anger at Nate who is suddenly terrified

"However, I do hope that this time you won't come to dirty tricks like falsifying a license…"

Nate is petrified as she continues walking. Continuing their talk any further wouldn't come to any conclusion, so he decides to fall silent for the rest of the travel.

When they reach their destination, Nate takes a deep breath. A mix of relief and uneasiness invades him as he raises his head and looks at the building in front of him.

"I guess I'm back." he says, smiling with melancholy as he slides the fingers next to the slim columns decorating the entrance of the dormitory building he is walking into. "Still… where am I supposed to stay? I have no longer a team, remember?"

"Teamless or not." Glynda starts, quickly tapping on the screen of her tablet. "You will be given an appropriate accommodation, just like any other student."

Just as she finishes tapping on her tablet, a notification pings on Nate's Scroll. As he checks his phone, Glynda immediately turns her back to him, leaving the dorms.

"The first lesson starts at 8:00, history. I accept no excuses for being late. Especially from you, considering that you missed yesterday's start of the lessons. I do hope I won't need to call you up."

"It was yesterday?" he says, scratching his head. "I guess I can't complain. Where is my room, anyway?"

"I think you know your way to your own room, mister Winters." she says, leaving immediately before Nate can ask more.

"Wait. I don't know what you mean with that…"

He sighs as Glynda leaves, knowing that it would be pointless to follow her.

Nate shrugs his worries away. "I suppose that I have to move up now."

He aimlessly looks around, occasionally finding students walking back and forth in their rooms and receiving curious murmurs from them each time.

"She said that I know my way to my room but she never…"

He stops. He takes out his Scroll once again, checking one last time the thing that Glynda sent him.

It's a simple email containing the code needed to unlock the door of his room, but then he notices something peculiar at the end of the message. Something that he initially skipped.

His emblem is displayed on the bottom of the email. The silhouette of a Beowulf with a black eight-point snowflake pattern on the background. Beside it, there are three more emblems. Familiar emblems that he nearly forgot.

The first one is a clock, framed in a gear. The hands of the clock are indicating midnight.

"Helena…"

The second one is a simple silhouette of a crop, standing on a small mound. A bolt coming from the bottom cuts the image in half, representing an earthquake.

"Lucas…"

The last one makes Nate more uncomfortable, shifting his look to his feet every now and then.  
"...Fortuna…"

The last emblem is similar to Nate's background. The only difference is the number of points it has, which is double of Nate's snowflake. A green four-leafed clover is overlapping on the centre of the snowflake.

 _Fortuna_

That name was the reason why he is known as 'Nate Wolfe' and not 'Nate Winters.' And she was the reason why he quit Beacon.

He takes a deep long sigh, "I can't believe that room hasn't been assigned." then he checks once again his old watch. It's 7:30.

"Guess I have to get ready." he says, heading immediately to the stairs.

Just like any student, Nate walks across the corridors, glancing at the dozen teams in Beacon.

After a couple of minutes, he finds himself in front of a door. He slides his Scroll next to the electronic lock that keeps the door shut.

It makes a click, signalling that the door is unlocked. As he opens the room, Nate is overwhelmed with a sense of nostalgia… and regret.

Just as he walks in, he turns his head to the left, finding a desk. And on it, he finds a framed picture, standing on top of the desk. He takes it, recognizing himself in it, alongside three more people.

A younger version of himself is kneeling on the front, irritated by the smiling brown-haired guy that is using him as a stand where to lay his arms on. Upon that sight, Nate lets out a bittersweet chuckle. Two girls on the left are hugging each other while looking at the camera.

"I miss you, team." he concludes, smiling at the picture and putting it back on the desk.

When he looks on the other side of the room, he finds a pair of long metal cases lying on a bed, along with a neatly tidied Beacon black uniform beside them.

When he gets closer to it, he finds a small note attached to it.

 _Here's the gear that you asked for.  
Considering that you were one of our most important patrons, not to mention my personal lab rat, I decided to give you the components for free._

Nate sighs at that reveal, thinking that there is no use to complain anymore.

The message continues.

 _Along with the pieces that you need for Crimson Night, I've also put a little gift for your comeback to Beacon. Professor Ozpin told me everything. Sorry that I didn't tell you that in the call._

"Oh. For goodness sake, Bianca…"

He approaches the boxes, clicking on the clamps that kept them locked. He opens the first one.

Upon a rapid inspection, Nate recognizes the improved hollow blade and the ammo for Crimson Night, fitted in the black sponge that stuffs the box.

He closes the first metal box and opens the second, finding another note inside.

 _I know you'll be angry at me._

 _-Bianca_

Nate appears confused by that statement, looking inside the box.

Bianca's 'gift' is covered in red cloth on which Nate's emblem is imprinted.

When he removes the cloth, he remains in silence, contemplating the weapon in front of him.

Bianca's gift is a bolt-action rifle fitted in a neatly harnessed sheath. A weapon that Nate immediately recognizes as he grabs it by the barrel and suddenly spins it clockwise.

The rifle transforms itself. The barrel becomes longer and the stock of the rifle opens in the back, releasing a blade with two smaller side blades. The stock collapses, becoming part of the barrel which is now a staff.

"Are you kidding me?" he says with a tone of amusement and surprise. "You upgraded Aurei Miles? You're in so much trouble next time I see you"

 _(_ _ **Author's note:**_ ' _Miles', in this case, is pronounced as 'Meel-s')_

Nate looks at his newly transformed weapon, a partisan, as he whispers the phrase carved in the blade.

"Si vis Pacem… Para bellum…" he is confused by the inscription, clueless about its meaning. "What did you carve on Aurei Miles, Bianca? It makes zero sense…"  
He rotates the partisan counter-clockwise, returning it to its rifle-form and placing it on the bed.

As he walks next to his uniform, he slides his fingers on the fabric of the suit, giving him an awkward sensation as he keeps doing it.  
After four years in the field, the sight of that uniform makes him uncomfortable, like a fish out of water.  
He repeats the process all over the suit for a couple of minutes before he starts undressing and put on the uniform.

When he's fully prepared, he is overwhelmed with a sensation of uneasiness as he looks at himself in the mirror. As if he is looking to a ghost of the past.

His wolf ears pop out from his hair, showing his embarrassment by flicking continuously and nervously.

He finally comes back to senses when he remembers about the lessons. His wolf ears hide back in his messy hair.

"Come on, Nate," he says to himself, slapping his face a couple of times. "get a hold of yourself."

He exits the room, gently closing the door behind him and thinking about one single thing: getting in time to the first lesson of the day.

There is only one problem…  
"Which one is it, exactly?"

He immediately put a stop to his senseless haste, checking for any messages that he might have missed. Nothing.

He scratches his head, clueless. "They did keep the original schedule… didn't they?"

He raises his head to look in front of himself, hoping to ask someone a couple of questions.

Then he notices a person, a girl that he didn't expect to find in his same corridor. Or on the same floor. Or in the same dormitory. In fact, he didn't expect to find her at all. Not on his first day, at least.

He can't see her face, but he carefully looks at the girl from behind.

Her short black hair, the way she talks… and her red hooded cape. And when she turns her head a little, he manages to get a glimpse of her silver eyes.

"There's no mistake. That's Ruby." he whispers, showing a proudly smile. "You've gone very far, Thorns."

"She has indeed." Ozpin voice emerges from the stairwell next to Nate's room. When he turns around, he finds himself in front of the headmaster, smiling at him. Both of Ozpin's hands are holding his iconic cane and mug respectively. "Hello, Nate. It has been a while."

"Professor Ozpin?!"

"You're looking well", the headmaster says as he takes a good look at him. "Going for the first lesson of the day?"

"Yes, sir", Nate replies with energic joy, only to turn dubious soon after. "Well… kind of… professor Goodwitch forgot to tell me in which class it will take place. Professor Oobleck, history"

Ozpin appears confused by that statement, shifting to an apologizing expression.

"I'm sorry, Nate." he says. "I warned miss Goodwitch about you only this morning. So she didn't have any papers to hand you over."

"Yet she gave me the keycode for my room." Nate points out.

"Which has never changed, from what I remember, unlike the schedule of some lessons."

"Fair enough, professor. Then may I kindly ask you in which class is the first lesson, then? I'd mind not to upset her."

"It's the class next to the old one. Although, professor Oobleck won't mind if you'll take the scenic route with me."

"And that's how I'll get in trouble on my first day of school." Nate says, sighing, followed by Ozpin's entertained chuckle.

Their walk brings them to the gardens surrounding the Beacon Tower, the huge and tall building that oversees the campus.

Nate raises his head to observe the top of the building where the headmaster's office is located. Then he turns to the headmaster with a clueless expression.

"Why did you choose me, professor?"

"Why are you worrying about it?"

Nate sighs. "Since the start... It sounded really awkward to ask a former student, nonetheless a dropout, to teach at such a young age. What makes you think I am fit for teaching?"

"Don't worry, Nate. You are", Ozpin says with a half-smile. Then he sips in his mug before continuing. "I think Glynda told you already that you aren't exactly a teacher"

"Yes… Are you really asking me to impersonate a teacher?" Nate asks, visibly distressed by the proposition of that possible situation.

"Yes, if I have to be truthful," Ozpin replies, leaving Nate speechless and confused. "but I chose you because the same professor that you're going to impersonate gave me that suggestion."

"What? Who are you talking about?"

"You should know already." Ozpin points out.

Nate is in shock and afraid. "No... No, professor. You can't be serious. He despises me."

"Yes. I understood that from the way he talked about you. 'A kid with numerous problematic quirks.' he said."

Nate rolls his eyes to the other side, glancing to a group of students rushing to their lessons. The blond male in front of the group trips over nothing, forcing the others to help him out and rush soon after he is on his feet.

"It doesn't mean that professor Belnoire doesn't respect your hard work." His words catch Nate's interest who immediately turns back to the headmaster, confused but curious. "I know Lucius is quite the strict type of guy. No wonder they call him the Wolf Teacher of Atlas."

"Nonetheless, he is a professor. And, as such, he is capable of finding the potential in a student"

"If you say so, professor." Nate says, shrugging. He looks in front of himself, noticing that they are now next to the library. "And what am I supposed to 'teach,' exactly?"

"Rather than 'teaching,' you'll be evaluating the students."

"So… like professor Goodwitch…" he says, puffing his cheeks. "And here I thought that I'd be doing something more interesting."

"More or less", Ozpin replies, smiling. "You won't be evaluating the students as a team. At the same time, you'll be working with the other professors in order to hone further knowledge in the aspiring Huntsmen."

"Quite of a stretched task, I must say."

"Likewise, I'm afraid," he agrees. "but Lucius requested this in order to check the extension of his teachings to academies of the other kingdoms."

"What teachings, exactly?" Nate asks, worried. "I'm not sure if professor Belnoire's way of teaching in other academies can be applied. I pity the students who will have to face his teachings."

Ozpin chuckles. "Not exactly his methods. Rather, it's more about the topics of said teachings. I think you already know which ones."

For some unknown reason, the sole idea of Lucius' studies nearly makes Nate hurl.

"You mean his studies about the Grimms? I must say it's an argument to be taken with a grain of salt." Nate replies with a bitter tone. He shouldn't feel disgusted by the aforementioned argument which actually and awkwardly helped him the most. But something in the back of his head forces him to loathe it.  
"I know, Nate." Ozpin replies, sternly nodding in agreement. "But his latest researches proved a strong point in his studies on the Grimms. And, so far, it's one of the few information we have ever obtained about them, considering the difficulty of keeping them alive without being eaten or mauled to death first. But we'll talk about it another time. We're already here."

Nate turns his head to the front, finding himself to the double-door entrance of the class. He takes a long and worrying sigh at it, before Ozpin places a hand on his shoulder, reassuring him.

"Don't worry, Nate." he says with a calm tone. "As far as I can tell, the professor will be happy to see you again."

Ozpin turns the handle of one of the doors, leaving it wide open.

The lesson falls silent upon the opening of the door. The students turn almost at the same time, gasping in surprise or murmuring to each other. Only a few are talking about the headmaster.

The rest of them are talking about Nate.  
And the more the murmur about him increases, the more uncomfortable he feels, trying to hide behind the headmaster.

The two walk down to professor Oobleck, staring at them through the big round spectacles.

"I'm sorry, Bartholomew. I wanted to have a small talk with your student."

"Don't worry, Professor Ozpin. We were just starting."

Oobleck turns to the students who immediately shift their attention from Nate to the professor.

"Students, as I have mentioned earlier, I want to introduce to you to Nate Winters. Please, Nate. Come closer."

Nate turns to Ozpin who simply nods at him. He takes a deep breath and walks towards Oobleck.

Oobleck places his hand on Nate's shoulder, "Nate was already a student of Beacon, but due to dire circumstances, he was forced to drop school out for a while."  
"Nonetheless, he isn't like a freshman. He has his fair share of experience. Just like all of you had so far."  
"If there aren't any questions, I'll leave professor Oobleck to his lesson."

"Thank you, Ozpin." Then Oobleck turns to Nate. "You can take a seat, Nate. There should be one next to mister Daichi over there."

He points to Nate his seat, next to a bulky and lightly tanned guy. Nate simply nods in agreement to Oobleck.  
Before he can get to his seat, however, he is pulled by Ozpin who whisper at him on the ear. "Nate, about what we said earlier… I do hope we've come to an agreement."

Nate smiles. "I suppose I can't disappoint professor Belnoire, professor."  
Ozpin looks relieved by the answer. He lets go Nate who immediately heads to his seat.  
"I'm glad that he's back, Bartholomew." Ozpin whispers to Oobleck. "I just hope that he can find himself back soon enough."  
Ozpin walks out of the classroom, starting further murmurs as he leaves. Nate observes him from his seat, looking puzzled as he walks out.  
"Nate, may you please sit down?" Oobleck asks, receiving an immediate nod of acknowledgement from Nate.  
As Nate sits down, Oobleck coughs a little bit. He walks to his desk and picks up his coffee mug, sipping from it.  
"Now… where was I?"


	4. Old Nate, New Nate

_"Hey, can I get in?"_

 _"Percy, please. Just go to your own team."_

 _"Why? Can't I meet your team leader? I just want to have a talk, you know? From one leader to another."_

 _"You saw him at the teams' announcements."_

 _"He was wearing a mask. That doesn't count!"_

 _"Percy, just leave, before I do something harsh."_

 _"Like what? Come on, Fortuna. Please?"_

 _"You can't butter me up with that talk, Percy. Goodnight."_

 _"OW! Closing the door on my hand?! That was quite mean, Fortuna!"_

 _"You asked for it. Now get to your own room."_

 _"... You sure have a weird boyfriend..."_

 _"Boyfriend? Oh. No, no, no. We're not a couple."_

 _"You kinda sounded like it. Sorry that I've made assumptions."_

 _"No worries."_

 _"..."_

"... and that concludes our lesson, students."

Professor Port's voice echoed across the class, warning the students about the end of his lesson.  
As if he was awoken from a deep slumber, Nate bolted back in place.

"Be sure to cover the assigned readings during this evening." Port tapped his shoes. As he explained, he fixed his moustache with a swift movement of his hand. "Class dismissed."

The room slowly started to empty itself. Some of the students rushed outside the class while others took their time to adjust their notes and walk away.

As Nate was ordering his notes, a student walked to him, making him wary of their presence as they got closer.  
"So, Nate," he started, "are you coming for the sparring session?"

"I think I'll pass for today," Nate replied with a tired voice. "It felt like a long day for me. I think I'll go to bed to get ready for the next day."

"Well… your loss." The student said, "Today is the cadets' first sparring session."

Nate's wolf ears perked up in response to that statement.

"I see that I gained your interest, " the student said, chuckling a little bit at Nate's reaction. "There will also be that young prodigy. What was her name? Red… Rosa…"

"Ruby Rose," Nate replied. "Yeah. I'm aware."

"So… did I change your mind?"

"... a little," Nate said, amused, turning to face the person. "And who am I talking to?"

"Albus Silverberg." As if he had dirty and dusty hands, he cleaned them on his pants, before reaching Nate out with his right hand.

Nate took a better look at Albus. He was as tall as him, slightly more muscular. His purple eyes were partially hidden by his platinum silky hair. A small cut crossed his square chin. Something in his appearance threw Nate off for a second.

"Silverberg, uh…" Nate repeated, taking his hand. "Atlesian?"

"Yes," Albus said, surprised. "How did you know?"

"I heard that name during a short visit to Mantle. Your name is quite important if I remember correctly."

"Yeah…" Albus shortly replied, slightly embarrassed. "Despite the fact that I am proud of my family name, I'd prefer to not be acknowledged only for that…"

Nate nodded. "Ah. I see."

"On another note," Albus said, checking the time on his Scroll. "we should be heading to the next classroom immediately. Professor Goodwitch isn't very fond of late students."

"We can definitely both agree on that," Nate said, remembering the numerous times he and his team got in trouble with professor Goodwitch. "Just give me a few minutes to gather my papers."

* * *

The classroom for the sparring sessions was similar to the ones used for the daily lessons, with the primary differences being the size of the room, the presence of a combat stage and a scoreboard to observe the participants' Aura.

Professor Goodwitch walked up to the stage, holding a tablet-type Scroll. Her eyes carefully looked at the crowd of pupils in front of her. "Good evening, students..."

As Glynda continued her speech, Albus turned to Nate.

"So, Nate… does this feel like the old times?"

Nate stifled a laugh. "More or less. Except for the lack of my old friends."

"You still didn't mention what team you were part of…"

"Is it important?" Nate asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well… yeah… considering that no one recognized you, and you look older than me, there must be a higher chance that you're a student from _four years ago_ , at least. There had been a good amount of teams that got some renown among the Kingdoms around that period."  
Nate raised an eyebrow, intrigued by his analysis. A form of reasoning that he thought no one but himself was capable of.  
"First of all, I'm 19 years old. I'm not that old," Nate said. "Also, I don't think my former teammates have made some sort of imagery of themselves."

"Curious..." Albus brought his hand to the chin. "That would make you 15 years old by the time you started Beacon. Ruby Rose isn't the only prodigy to enter Beacon prematurely..."  
Nate's face tensed as he realized what he had just revealed to Albus.  
"... Did you ever hear of the Prodigy Huntsman?"

"... No." Nate tried to keep a stoic expression. "Not really."

"Well… he is quite renowned among the Huntsmen as one of the youngest to graduate. And he studied here. In Beacon."

"It still doesn't ring any bell," Nate said. "Any information about the team?"

"I don't know," Albus replied, shaking his head. "All I know is the name of one teammate: Fortuna Wolfe."

As soon as he heard that name, Nate flinched from his seat.  
"She is quite a renowned name in Atlas," Albus continued, unaware of Nate's reaction. "The current head of the Weisse Wolfe Arms Company. I know that she made a customized weapon for the Prodigy and that he adopted the Wolfe name as an alias."

Professor Goodwitch coughed loudly enough to gain Nate's and Albus' attention. "May I, and the rest of the class, know what is so interesting about your discussion?"

"Nothing much," Nate replied, relieved for the interruption. "We're just fervently waiting for which cadet team is going to participate today."

Glynda looked at Nate with cold, sharp eyes. "You are going to find out soon."

Just as she pressed something on her tablet, the scoreboard started a roulette of team names, rapidly scrolling down.

The first team appeared on the scoreboard in capital letters.

"Team RWBY, if you would please come down."

A group of students timidly stood up from their seats, walking down to professor Goodwitch.

Once they reached the stage, Nate's eyes were locked on two members of Team RWBY.

On the far right stood a perky girl with long golden hair.

"Yang…"

Her cheerful and energetic attitude put a smile on Nate's face. That was until he faced the other girl on the opposite side.

"Ruby..."

That was the only word he could say.

Albus heard him and leaned forward to get a better look. His eyes widened in surprise as he recognized Ruby as well. "Oh. There's the prodigy… wait. Is that Weiss Schnee?"

"Who?"

"Wait. Don't you know the Schnee heiress?" Albus asked, surprised.

"I am aware of the Schnee family," Nate replied. "I'm not particularly knowledgeable about each member."

He focused on Weiss, recognizing her similarity with Bianca. Pale skin and white long silky hair. A genetic peculiarity of the Schnee family he was well aware of.

"Now, for the other team…"

A second list scrolled next to team RWBY on the scoreboard, scrolling down at a similar speed.

"Team… WHSP?" Glynda said, puzzled, once the name appeared. "How curious… Hold on a second, students…"

"Team WHSP?" Albus repeated with similar confusion. "We don't have a team with that name among us... Do we?"

"Don't ask me," Nate replied. "I just arrived this morning."

Glynda appeared confused for a while until something clicked in her mind as she checked her tablet a second time.

"Could the following students walk down to the stage? Aurelie Palladine…"

Albus appeared more puzzled. "Wait. Ellie?"

A girl with short and messy black hair walked down to the stage. She kept a cool look as she stood next to Glynda.

"Lilith Halley…"

Another girl walked down to the stage. As tall as Ruby. Her brown hair cloaked her eyes. Confused, she looked around herself.

"Lilly? What is going on?"

"Albus Silverberg…"

He immediately stood up without a second thought. He walked down to Glynda.

"Professor, there must be an error. We…"

"There's no error, mister Silverberg. Your team has a fourth member, now. If you could please stand next to your teammates."

Albus complied with her request, walking to his team and standing next to Aurelie.

"Well… Now I'm completely clueless…" he said, shaking his head in hope of cleaning up his mind.

"Now… about the fourth participant…" Her seriousness turned into disbelief. Sighing, she looked at the students. "Nate Winters, if you could please come down…"

Nate was shocked when he heard his name. He stood up, walking down to the training grounds.  
While walking down the stairs, Nate noticed Ruby's gaze. As soon as the lights illuminating the stage showed him to the students, Ruby looked at him in shock.

"Nate…?"

"Hey, Ruby," Nate said as he weakly waved at her. "It has been a while…"

"Nate?" Yang was bewildered when she heard his name. Her eyes widened as soon as she recognized him. "Oh my God! It is you!"

"Yeah. Hi, Yang…"

"Miss Rose, miss Xiao Long," Glynda called out the two girls. "Could you please postpone any discussion for later? You'll have plenty of time to talk after the lesson."

The two stood back to their places in a hurry, raising their heads and looking in front of them, sometimes gazing at Nate.

"For now, I'd like for the two teams to get ready for the sparring session."

The two teams nodded.

"Good. Both of the teams may head to the locker room right behind this classroom. You will return here in fifteen minutes."

They nodded, heading to the exit in front of the stage.

Nate, however, walked closer to Glynda, doubtful. "Uhh… professor Goodwitch… I didn't bring any of my equipment to the locker room. When I got dressed up in my uniform, I had to rush to the lesson."

"I'm very well aware of that, Mister Winters. Even if 'rushed' doesn't fit what I observed this morning" Glynda replied, tapping a couple of times on her tablet. "I just requested that your equipment shall be brought to your locker."

"Ah," Nate said, with a dry tone. "I guess that I owe you a thank you."

"No need for that," she sternly replied. "You may go now."

Nate nodded at her, rushing to the exit as well.

When they reached the locker room, the two teams split up, heading to their personal lockers.

"See you later, Ruby," Nate added, walking to his locker as soon as the teams walked away.

As Nate stood in front of his locker, he slid his Scroll past it which unlocked with a click, letting him check its contents.

The two cases he received from Bianca were there. He checked both of them, taking out only the one containing Aurei Miles.

His apparel was hanging on a crutch, neatly ordered. He felt out of place as he couldn't recognize any of the clothing in front of him.  
A pair of grey trousers, a white shirt with torn trims, a black leather gambeson, a charcoal-coloured coat decorated on the shoulders with a silvery fur, covering them like a mane. And a pair of black hiking boots sitting in a corner of the locker.  
He wore the new outfit, spinning a couple of times to test the mobility. Despite the hindrance caused by the gambeson, his movements didn't feel heavily affected.  
And then something picked his interest more: a mask resembling something similar to a Beowolf, lying right where the boots were.

As Nate picked it up, his face contorted at the mere sight of it.  
He wasn't a part of the White Fang, the Faunus organization that hunted him down during the last three months. But that mask was a part of his past. A past that he was not sure whether to ignore or keep looking at.  
"Nate, are you here?"

Nate frantically hid the mask in an inner pocket of his coat and closed it with a zipper.

Albus appeared from nearby, wearing an ivory overcoat decorated with silver trims and a pair of steel pauldrons that covered his shoulders. A pair of leather boots were strapped to steel greaves. Beneath the coat, he wore a waistcoat and a pair of pants, both sharing the same black charcoal tint, and a white shirt.  
"There you are," Albus said as he was face to face with Nate. "The girls and I are ready. We're waiting for you…"

"I feel like you've copied my outfit," Nate joked as he looked at Albus' apparel.  
Albus chuckled at his statement. "Well… I think your outfit suits you."

"So does yours for you,"  
"You think?" Albus asked, spinning with his arms spread wide. "This is actually a gift from my godfather for my 18th birthday."  
"And you don't like it?" Nate asked.  
Albus smiled as he looked at his clothes. "On the contrary. I love it. It's just that I feel like I didn't meet his expectations. He kept me under his wing, after all. Trained me since I was 14, despite the numerous duties he had to do for the Kingdom."  
His cheerfulness shifted to a more melancholic expression.

"When I decided that I would have moved here, he became quite… unhappy with my decision. But he didn't stop me. He gave me some words of encouragement. Still, though. I think I deceived him with it."

"Well…He seems to respect you nonetheless," Nate said. "The most important thing to do is to treasure his lessons and put them to use. Improve it, if you must. That would make him more proud, I guess."

Nate knelt down to open Aurei Miles' case, taking out his weapon. Once he equipped his rifle, he spun a couple of times to test the rigidity of the harness. To his relief, the harness didn't hinder his ability to take out the weapon.

"So… are we ready yet?"

Nate closed his weapon case, putting it back in the locker and noticing something lying on the upper scaffold of the locker as soon as he raised his eyes.  
A small chain necklace with a tiny metallic replica of a Beowolf head, along with a small note.

His eyes became teary as he recognized the calligraphy of the message:

 _Welcome back, Nate._

 _-Taiyang_

"Tai…" Nate was on the verge of sobbing until he felt Albus' hand on his shoulder.

"What is it?"  
"An old memento that I thought I lost a long time ago," Nate replied, cleaning his eyes with the sleeves of his coat. Once he recomposed himself, he slipped the necklace around his neck and hid it under the gambeson. "I'd prefer to not lose it again, this time."

"If that's all, we can go now," Albus pointed to the exit behind him with the thumb. "The girls went ahead. We should be the last ones."

"Agreed," Nate said, closing his locker. As he walked behind Albus, his thoughts were directed to multiple things. To his mask, to Taiyang who gave him the necklace, to Yang and Ruby… and, reluctantly, to his own eyes.

The class was excited. The murmur was replaced by intermittent discussions about the two teams.  
Nate's ears perked up, listening to their voices, and suddenly lowering his ear as the students started mentioning him.  
"This is so nerve-racking…" Albus looked around himself and focused back to Nate, impassible at the situation. "How are you so calm?"  
"I'm not," Nate spoke from the side of his mouth. "I'm internally screaming at the moment."

Albus let out a chuckle. "Yeah, sure."

When Glynda walked up the ring, everyone went silent. Her heels tapped on the floor as she approached the two teams.  
"Team RWBY, team WHSP. You have now a minute to prepare yourselves."  
Team RWBY immediately turned their backs on team WHSP. Nate observed them for a while, then he turned to his team, taking a better look at them.  
Aurelie was an athletic girl, as tall as Albus. Her spartan outfit, however, made her look like a typical tomboy.

An olive-coloured high-collar shirt, hidden beneath a leather chestplate. Black slim-fit jeans and a waistless ivory jacket.

The other teammate, Lilith, wore a cyan dress with a frilly skirt reaching her knees, a dark blue oversized coat that emphasized the height difference, and a pair of black boots.

Albus gestured to the group to get closer to him. "Alright. Strat time. So, first of all—"  
"What can you do?" Aurelie suddenly asked, covering Albus' mouth with her hand. "Lilith is our ranged specialist, Albus and I are the ones that take most of the bruises. What are you useful for?"

"Ellie, now you're just being mean," Albus said, only to receive a stern look from her.

"I am the sniper… well. Used to," Nate said, removing his weapon from its sheath. "I'll cover you from any flank."  
"With that?" Aurelie said, pointing to Aurei Miles. "You won't be fast enough with that bolt rifle."  
"I'll manage," Nate said.  
Aurelie's face became red, irritated by his answer.  
"You'll manage?" She said, irate, pulling him towards herself. "I don't need to flex my abilities if I can do it. But something like that is far from possible!"  
"Is something wrong, miss Palladine?" Glynda asked as she noticed the commotion.  
"It's nothing," she said, letting Nate go. Her eyes, however, were fixed on him the whole time, filled with contempt.

"I guess we'll go for the usual," Albus said, sighing. Then he turned to Nate. "Nate, I put my trust in you. Be sure to make every round count."

"I will." Nate nodded.

"Students, please get ready for the match."

Following the order, the two teams readied their weapons. Nate took a rapid look at his teammates' weapons.  
Aurelie was wielding a polearm mounting a leaf-shaped blade in the right hand and a round shield in the left.  
Albus was bearing a sword with a crossguard on his right hand, while his left hand held a 6-shot revolver with a large frame on the barrel side.

When Nate turned to check Lilith, he was surprised by the lack of weapons on her. Then he noticed her hands.

Lilith was wearing a ring on each finger of her left hand, each of them paired with five colours. Her right hand wore a fingerless glove, sharing the same colour as her jacket.

Nate focused back at the match, looking at the timer, displayed on the scoreboard.

 _Ten seconds._

He had to come up with an idea to make the bluff he said to Aurelia real.


End file.
